How to Prepare Homemade Meal Replacements Shakes

It might seem odd to drink a meal rather than eat it. After all, when we were children, we were all expected to sit down at the dining table for family mealtime and finish all the food on our plates. But then we grew up and became adults; now, we’re experiencing more responsibilities in life which can be very hectic and fast-paced. We understand that we just don’t always have the time to sit down and eat a meal, let alone prepare  home-cooked food. So, having a meal replacement shake doesn’t seem that strange, afterall.

Since they’re so popular because they are known to help in weight management, it can be difficult to know which one to choose if you’re buying store-bought ones. But you always have a choice to make your own meal replacement shakes, which can be just as confusing since you want to know what  ingredients can be used to produce shakes that are healthy and tasty. 

There are so many ways to go about making your own, and you’ll probably want to experiment with different ingredients to get the taste you want. In addition to taste, you need to be sure that what you’re drinking is actually helping you to lose weight while keeping your daily calorie and nutritional consumption in check.

In this read, we’ll cover some of the most important facts about meal replacement shakes, including their nutritional value, how they help you control your weight, the right and wrong ways to use them, how to prepare them at home, as well as more insightful information.

What Are Meal Replacements?

Meal replacements come in several forms. They could be snack bars, soups, or a drink. They are meant to replace solid food using a controlled number of calories with the required vitamins and minerals. It’s hard to imagine that we could get the same nutrients from a meal replacement as we would get from a cooked meal, but these replacements have been used for several decades by different people of all walks of life; from astronauts, athletes and avid travelers, to weight watchers and simply people who are just tired of throwing frozen foods into the oven. 

It’s important to realize that these replacements won’t help you lose weight or make you healthier if you continue to make poor choices in what you eat. They replace meals, but they don’t replace poor eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle. 

Originally, meal replacements were popular  with those with a sensitive gut, or with the elderly and other individuals who could not consume solid food due to illnesses, post-operative conditions, or other health conditions. 

Do they work? The short answer is yes. They’re a convenient way to replace a meal with proper nutritional value while helping to promote weight loss. They’re safe to consume and people can lose weight when they consume them on a regular basis because shakes can suppress our appetites, thus reducing calorie intake. With so much information and misinformation on ways to lose weight, people appreciate these replacement shakes if for no reason other than that they are a safe alternative to preparing and consuming a meal. 

Though you’re not supposed to replace every meal with a shake, which we’ll talk about shortly, it’s a good way to jump-start a diet.

Given their popularity, over the decades, and their ease of access from health stores and other shops, it only made sense to have a guideline for manufacturers of replacement meals, which is when Codex came into play. 

Codex 1991 and 1995

The Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) is an entity that was established by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. It provides a guideline that could be used as a reference by manufacturers of replacement meals. In 1991, a Codex standard was finalized for “Formula Foods for Weight Control Diets”. In 1995, another final guideline was established for “Formula Foods for Use in Very Low Energy Diets for Weight Reduction.” Today, most manufactured meal replacements follow the Codex standards. 

In the USA, meal replacements are not regulated or defined by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  But generally, they should be:

• 200 to 250 calories per serving.
• Fortified with 20 or more vitamins or minerals.
• Low in fat or sugar.

How Many Shakes Per Day?

Everyone has their reason for consuming shakes, but most people do so because they’re short on time to prepare meals, want to lose weight or simply because shakes are healthy and homemade ones are super tasty! 

But they’re not meant to replace all your meals. Not everything found in solid foods works in liquid form. Plus, we do gain biological benefits from chewing and swallowing solid food, so it’s not feasible nor healthy to omit all your cooked meals. Also, the body reacts differently to the calories from solid food as opposed to calories from liquids. You won’t feel full from liquid calories as you would from solid food calories. This makes a big difference for those seeking weight loss. 

However, it’s been found that replacing one or two meals a day can help promote weight loss. For most people on the go, they’ll find it very helpful to have a shake in the morning rather than skipping breakfast altogether. 

The Right and Wrong Way to Use Replacement Shakes

When we replace meals with shakes, a process in the body called thermogenesis begins to happen, which is basically when your body begins to produce more heat. Thermogenesis boosts your body’s metabolism which allows it to start burning more calories. Thermogenesis supplements, like green tea, reduce appetite and encourage fat burning. 

Arguably, some supplements may not help weight loss nor do they benefit you with the many things they claim to do. This is why a replacement shake is more reliable; especially a home-made one. Knowing the ingredients that go into them is a comfort for all those who may depend on them for nutrition or muscle build-up. 

Whether you purchase a manufactured brand or make your own shakes, you have to take some precautionary measures. For example, the grams of protein should be equal to or higher than the carbs you consume. This prevents your blood sugar from dropping. If your intake is short on protein, feel free to add some nuts or a couple of turkey slices on the side. If the meal has less than 10% carbs, you can consider adding a piece of fruit to your meal.

Our bodies are made to chew and digest foods. The whole idea of choosing foods to cook, how we cook, and chewing and swallowing play a role in feeling satisfied after a meal. A shake has its benefits, but not the same as those that come with  cooking a meal. When we cook or eat a meal, there tends to be more satisfaction in feeling full because of these factors that present themselves, such as the aroma of food, which usually isn’t the case with a liquid meal. But a replacement shake is easy to digest, and the idea is to feel full of fewer calories. 

You want to make sure that you don’t surpass your intended daily calorie intake if you’re using shakes to lose weight. That’s why most shakes are around 200 or 250. If you’re having it with a salad, that could clock in at around 400 or 500 calories.

Another piece of advice for weight loss is to consume half your shake 30 minutes before going to the gym or exercising. That’s a good way to get fueled before exercise. You can then consume the other half after your session. 

How to Prepare Your Own Shakes

Store-bought replacement meals are convenient and healthy, but only as long as you choose the right one for your needs. Not all shakes are created equally. Some of them are nothing more than high-calorie, sugar-based drinks, which is not any better than our junk food guilty pleasures. Also, some might not be cheap when you calculate how many shakes you can make from a powder replacement. If you’re not sure where to start, you can learn more here concerning everything about meal replacement shakes and how to choose the best one for you. Generally, they’re all safe to consume, but with so many choices on the market, it’s a fact that some will be better than others. 

High-quality shakes will provide you with essential nutrients from solid foods, while other products may use synthetic vitamin blends. They are both completely safe to consume, but shakes made from solid foods might be the better choice for you. When choosing a protein shake, read the label carefully. On the back of the packaging, you’ll find all the nutritional information is printed.

If the nutrients aren’t up to your standard and you’re also paying more than you have for some shakes that will only supplement some of your meals, then it’s time to prepare your own at home if all your options are out of your budget. That way, you’ll be absolutely sure that you’re getting a healthy shake with proper quantity and quality.

There are different ways to make your own, and for newbies, you can start using some basic ingredients, including the following:

Whey Protein Powder: Whey protein powders are probably the most popular vegan protein source on the market today. Generally, whey is often taken after exercise for muscle building and recovery. Studies have suggested that besides helping you build muscles, whey can also promote weight loss. It helps manage weight by making you feel full and thus curbing your cravings. It’s also easy and quick to digest for most people. 

Casein: Casein is another kind of protein powder. It helps control your hunger levels and has high calcium content which may help in weight management. 

Milk: It doesn’t matter if you want to use dairy, soy, or almond. You can also use other types of liquids as a base. So, if you’re missing the taste of coffee, you can use iced coffee instead of milk. Some people just use water as a base, but you want to add calories to your shakes to make them effective for losing weight, and make sure you’re also consuming  healthy meals during your day.

Fruit: The choices are wide and purely a personal choice.

Yogurt: This dairy treat is low in fat and packed with calcium and protein.

Natural sweeteners: Sweeteners are optional, and lots of people opt for honey if they want more sweetness to their shakes.

Protein: Protein will keep you feeling full and help in your weight loss journey. It will also maintain your sugar level.

Soy protein: Soy is of the few plant-based proteins that contain all essential amino acids. It reduces your appetite and has also been shown to help reduce belly fat; a problem area that many people have. 

Green Tea: Full of antioxidants, green tea isa powerful ingredient known to boost weight loss and has other benefits.

Chia Seeds: A low-calorie food with many essential nutrients.

Flaxseeds: Flaxseeds help bowel movements flow smoother and keep you feeling full.

Oats: Oats are filled with fiber that also leave you feeling full. Old fashioned whole oats give a little more texture to your shake, while instant oats are more refined, so it’s a personal preference of which taste you like better.

Greens: Spinach, kale, and lettuce are all good choices for a shake. They all have a light taste, so you’ll enjoy a mild flavor  while you’re drinking your shake. 

This isn’t an exhaustive list by any means, but it gives you an idea of some of the most commonly used ingredients to make healthy homemade shakes. You can find tons of different recipes online. It might take some trial and error and experimenting with different recipes to get the taste that is most appealing to you, making sure your shake has the required nutrients in it. 

There is no doubt that meal replacement shakes are an option to get essential minerals and vitamins into your body via a quick and easy method. Having said that, it doesn’t mean you should replace all your meals with them, and you still have to make smart choices in what you choose to eat. For a meal replacement to really work, couple it with good lifestyle choices in diet and exercise. Out of all the weight-loss techniques we come across; meal replacement shakes are the most sustainable to jump-start your diet. They are also sustainable for long-term weight loss programs which is always the healthiest way to lose weight.